For Janet Jackson, ‘redemption’ might be nigh
On Wednesday, MTV announced that Janet Jackson will receive the Global Icon Award at the upcoming Europe Music Awards, to be shown live on Nov. 4 from Bilbao, Spain.
“Janet is without question one of the world’s biggest stars,” Bruce Gillmer — global head of music and talent for Viacom, owner of MTV — said in a statement.
“Her incredible artistry has opened doors for countless others while leaving an indelible impact on pop culture (for) well over three decades and counting.”
During the show, Jackson will perform a medley of her greatest hits — including her new single, “Made for Now,” a collaboration with Daddy Yankee.
If this all seems familiar, it’s because Jackson recently received a nearly identical prize. In May, she became the first black woman to receive the Icon Award from the Billboard Music Awards. She also performed a medley — consisting of “Nasty,” “If” and “Throb” — and presenter Bruno Mars ticked off her long list of accomplishments: the first woman to have five consecutive No. 1 albums, the biggestselling debut tour in history and many others.
As the audience chanted her name, she gave a powerful speech: “It’s a moment when at long last women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused,” she said. “I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged by discrimination who support us in heart and mind.”
Jackson was also named as a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the 2018 inductees set to be announced in December. This would be the ultimate prize, as her fans have long lobbied for her place there.
It’s telling — if not a satisfying coincidence — that Jackson is being honored in the same year that Justin Timberlake returned to the Super Bowl stage — an appearance that came 14 years after the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” Janet Jackson performing in 2017 in Washington, D.C. torpedoed Jackson’s career. (MTV produced the halftime show that year.)
Timberlake remained unscathed while Jackson found herself shunned by the entertainment industry.
During the Super Bowl in February, #JanetJackson AppreciationDay was trending on Twitter. At the beginning of the halftime show, Timberlake sang “Rock Your Body” and
stopped as he was about to get to the lyric, “Bet I’ll have you naked by the end of this song,” which was what he was singing when he ripped off Jackson’s top.
This time, he yelled: “Hold up! Stop!” and moved on to the next hit. The sly reference might have been misguided, as even Timberlake acknowledged that Jackson was unfairly blamed. Many on social media were unamused.
As for the hall-of-fame consideration, this marks the third time that Jackson has been shortlisted for the honor. On Super Bowl Sunday, Questlove jumped on the #JanetJackson AppreciationDay hashtag to make a plea for the pop star’s inclusion.
“As a voting member of the @RockHall its criminal that @JanetJackson has NOT been inducted yet,” he wrote on Instagram, noting her game-changing, five-times-platinum album “Control” in 1996. “Not to take away from her peers in the RRHOF that made marks in the 80s. But half of them can NOT claim they changed music.”
Earlier this month, some fans started a Change.org petition for Jackson’s classic albums to be reissued. Jackson also went on tour this year and, after a threeyear hiatus, released new music. Although her fans would argue that any such honor is much-deserved but much-delayed, 2018 might be the year of Jackson’s official redemption.